Scrap the ignitor. They get scary slippery when on wet granite. Too many of the guys we ride with have them and then trade them out anyways for this reason. Good tire though when everything is dry but thats odd in the adk's. The specialized purgatory / captain combo is great however. Also look into the Kenda excavator if a 29" version is available. The Purgatory on the front is FANTASTIC. On the rear the captain tends to slide a bit on damp needles when going downhill and isnt the greatest in sand but those are the only 2 negatives I have for the tire. That combo is one of my favorites. Currently running captains F+R but it is oddly dry this year. If looking for a more xc set up try the specialized GC F+R or a GC front and captain rear combo.

Don't mean to hijack the thread but I am on the same boat as the OP. Currently have crossmarks on a Tallboy and also looking for some new tires. Currently 190lbs with out gear, not a racer, riding coz I love it and riding around Westchester area. I was looking at getting an Ardent 2.25 for the front and keep the crossmarks in the rear. Or just running Ardents 2.25 front and rear. Also looking at the Panaracer CG XC for the front and back.
Thanks in advance

Scrap the ignitor. They get scary slippery when on wet granite. Too many of the guys we ride with have them and then trade them out anyways for this reason. Good tire though when everything is dry but thats odd in the adks

I agree, I had a nasty crash sliding down a slick granite roller, I never trusted them after that. If they offered them in a softer compound it might be a different story. They also wash out real easy when things get really dusty dry, like in the middle of a drought summer with an inch or so of dust over hard, but realistically in NY how often is that? My newest purchase came with a set of ardents, I personally don't mind a little extra rotating weight and they've been stellar so far. I guess I'm not a small tread kinda guy, I like my tires knobby, sticky and voluptuous for where I ride, kinda like my women

For what it's worth, I live above Ticonderoga, and ride a lot of ATV trails on a 29er. If we do "real" singletrack, it's on hiking trails in the Hammond Pond Wild Forest in North Hudson. I have the the Nevegal 2.2 up front, which I have been reasonably happy with. It's my first 29er, and it came stock with Conti's (Race?) King whatevers, the cheaper casings. It's been OK in the rear, but almost worn now, so I have both a Schwalbe Nobby Nic 29" X 2.25" and a Maxxis Ignitor 29 X 2.1" en route from Jenson (prices seemed reasonable)... thought I'd experiment with either.